DETROIT — George Postolos is leaving the Houston Astros, despite what he insists are better days ahead for the struggling team.

“I know it's going to be successful,” the San Antonio native said Monday. “That's tough to step away from that.”

Postolos resigned as president and CEO to return to sports consulting work in the midst of what looks like could be the team's third consecutive season of at least 100 losses. Postolos worked for seven years with Houston businessman Jim Crane to buy a sports franchise, and it wound up being the Astros. He had been Astros president and CEO since November 2011.

In a brief telephone interview, he said the decision to leave was his.

“It's one of those things, where there's no perfect time to leave,” he said. “But it's a good time because a lot of the key pieces are in place.”